Korea eSIM setup messages, one by one: which to tap through and which mean stop

Anything that pops up in the middle of an eSIM install looks like an error. Many of those messages are simply steps to tap through. The dividing line is this: tap through the alerts Apple names in its own documentation, and stop when you see a SIM warning or an error on a second attempt with the same QR code. Once you've stopped, the first thing to do is take a screenshot of the message. Apple's own advice when an eSIM won't set up is to "note the error message you are seeing on your iPhone".

This guide only covers messages whose wording appears in Apple or Samsung support pages (checked September 19, 2026). Error texts that circulate online but that we couldn't find in official documentation are left out rather than guessed at. If the eSIM is installed and only the internet isn't working, that's a different problem, covered in where to look when your Korea eSIM won't connect.

Which setup messages are actually described in official documentation?

Apple's documentation names three install-related alerts or prompts and two warnings. Samsung's support pages don't list installation error messages at all. Here they are in Apple's US English wording:

If you see a message that isn't on this list, its meaning isn't explained in the Apple and Samsung pages we checked. Rather than guessing, work through the steps further down and send a screenshot.

Are Cellular Plan Detected and Activate New eSIM errors?

Neither is an error. Both tell you the install has started, so tap through. Apple's "Set up eSIM on iPhone" page (published September 17, 2026 in US English) describes them like this:

• When you scan the QR code with the camera: tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification, then Continue at the bottom of the screen.
• When you install from a link: on iOS 17.4 or later, tapping the link brings up the Activate New eSIM notification. Tap Allow, then Continue.

The One-tap install for iPhone button at the top of the Kedanto order page works the link way. Instead of scanning a picture, tapping the button starts the install, so seeing this notification is exactly what should happen. The button is for iOS 17.4 or later; on an older version, use the QR code or enter the details manually.

What do you enter if you're asked for a confirmation code?

The Kedanto order page has no confirmation code, so stop at that screen, take a screenshot and contact support. Apple says: "If you're asked to enter a confirmation code to activate your eSIM, enter the number that your carrier provided." The values on a Kedanto order page are the SM-DP+ address, the activation code and the full code. There is no confirmation code among them.

Don't try pasting one of those three into the confirmation code field to see if it works. Apple's documentation doesn't say what happens when a wrong value goes in, and a Kedanto QR code installs only once. Send the screenshot and your order number to support@kedanto.com.

What if you see Invalid SIM or No SIM Card installed?

Apple's order is: check the plan, check the carrier lock, restart, check for a carrier settings update, and for an eSIM, contact whoever issued it. This follows Apple's page for the alerts Invalid SIM and No SIM Card installed.

1. Plan: make sure you have an active plan. For a Kedanto order, the order page should read Payment complete and show the QR code. The QR code of a cancelled or refunded order is already void.
2. Carrier lock: in Settings > General > About, No SIM restrictions should appear next to Carrier Lock. Apple's Dual SIM troubleshooting page also says: "Your iPhone must be unlocked, or both cellular plans must be from the same carrier." For how to check this on iPhone and Galaxy, see checking your phone and carrier lock.
3. Restart the iPhone.
4. Carrier settings update: open Settings > General > About; if an update is available, you'll be prompted to choose OK or Update.
5. Contact: Apple says, "If your device has an eSIM, contact your carrier." For a travel eSIM, the carrier's role is played by whoever sold you the eSIM. For a Kedanto order, that's support@kedanto.com.

If the install just doesn't finish, with no message, what does Apple say to try first?

Confirm you're on Wi-Fi, then toggle Airplane Mode, toggle the line, and restart, in that order. This is the sequence on Apple's "If you can't set up an eSIM on your iPhone" page (published April 23, 2026).

• Requirement: Apple says your iPhone "must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or hotspot". Only eSIM-only models in some countries and regions are an exception.
• Steps: ① Turn Airplane Mode on and off. ② Open Settings > Cellular; if the number you're trying to activate is shown, turn that line off and back on. ③ Restart the device.
• Diagnostics: on iOS 18 or later, the latest Apple Support app can run additional diagnostics.
• Carrier settings: in Settings > General > About, scroll to the eSIM section and tap the version number next to Carrier to check for an update.

Apple's page also says to open Control Center after each step and check whether your carrier appears in the status bar. But a Korea travel eSIM installed before your trip only activates once you turn on data roaming in Korea, according to the Kedanto order page. Before you leave home, check whether a new line appears under Settings > Cellular rather than relying on the status bar.

If a Galaxy won't install the eSIM, what does Samsung say?

Samsung's support pages don't list installation error messages or what they mean. They cover the connection requirement, a restart, and regional support. That's what we found on September 19, 2026 across Samsung's US and Ireland support pages and Samsung Electronics Service's Korean guide.

• Connection: Samsung Ireland says, "Before adding your plan, make sure your Galaxy smartphone is connected to WiFi or mobile data network." Samsung's Korean service guide says the same about a mobile network or Wi-Fi.
• Restart: Samsung US lists, as the step after scanning the carrier's QR code, "Restart the device to apply the eSIM profile."
• Support by region: the same US page notes, "Depending on the country of origin, eSIM may not be supported."

So if the install stalls on a Galaxy, check Wi-Fi, look under Settings > Connections > SIM manager for a new line, and restart. If it still doesn't work, take a screenshot and contact support.

What if you get an error when you try the same QR code again?

Kedanto's support page says a QR code that has already been used for an install attempt can't be reused. If the error came on a second attempt, stop tapping, whatever it says, and get in touch. The messages shown in this situation aren't written up in Apple or Samsung documentation, so this guide doesn't interpret them one by one.

Check one thing before you write. Even if the first attempt looked like it failed, the install may have finished. If a new line appears under Settings > Cellular on iPhone or Settings > Connections > SIM manager on Galaxy, it's installed, and all that's left is turning it on in Korea.

Don't delete the line and start over at this point. Apple's page on erasing an eSIM says, "Don't erase an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless directed to by your carrier" (checked September 19, 2026). And once deleted, a Kedanto eSIM won't reinstall from the same QR code.

What should you send so support can fix it in one go?

Send a screenshot of the message, your order number, your phone model and software version, how you installed (one-tap button, QR code or manual entry), and which attempt it was, to support@kedanto.com. If the install never worked, it's a case where the refund policy allows a full refund: after the QR code is issued but before it's installed or used, once the supplier's system confirms it, and for an unsupported device or a failed installation, as long as the eSIM was never installed.

Apple's list of things to gather before calling a carrier includes the error message, your phone number, your carrier account password and/or PIN, and your IMEI or EID. The phone number and account password or PIN belong to your home carrier account and have nothing to do with a Kedanto request. Never email a password or PIN to anyone.

When a setup screen freezes on a message, the first thing your thumb should reach for is the screenshot, not "try again". Take one screenshot, open the line list in Settings once, and if it's still unclear, attach that screenshot to an email. Install a few days before you fly rather than the night before, and even the wait for a reply fits comfortably into your schedule.